The City of London is entering phase two of its three-phase master plan.

In September, London launched Smart Moves — an initiative to study every form of current transportation, their strong points, and how they can be improved. Ultimately, the goal of the study is to respond to the needs of transportation users.

The report draws on the recommendations and suggestions of Londoners, as well as from AECOM — the main consultant for the project.

“[We wanted to focus on] the reliability, comfort and convenience [of transportation users],” Maged Elmadhoon, project manager of Smart Moves, said. “And when you do that, you increase the ridership.”

The first phase took place between September and December 2009, and consisted of several public meetings, and gave London residents the opportunity to offer input on the current transportation system.

“Phase One was really more [about] introducing the project and identifying the existing conditions,” Elmadhoon explained.

Now Smart Moves is entering its second phase. “The consultant is working on the second phase to explore our options and what are our opportunities and constraints,” Elmadhoon added.

While changes to London’s transportation system could have a direct impact on Western students, it appears little has been done since the study’s inception to gain their input and opinions.

“We don’t have any particular updates,” said Dan Moulton, University Students’ Council vice-president university affairs. “[The USC] was involved in fall consultations, and we made bus service a priority to ensure the safety of our students to get from the downtown area.”

Moulton added the safety of Western students will continue to be a primary concern of the USC, but said he had not consulted with representatives of Smart Moves since their September meeting.

Elmadhoon however, assured student opinions were taken into account and felt many specific initiatives of the research would directly affect students.

“You want to provide better transit, you want to provide better working and recycling facilities because most of the time, that’s what students use more than cars,” he explained. “So you want to provide better pathway facilities and walkways.”

Smart Moves recently closed their online survey, which asked residents the mode of transportation they used, how they used it and the frequency they used it.

“That’s the most important, because [transportation] is what people use,” Elmadhoon explained.

According to the current transportation master plan, seven per cent of Londoners currently use London transit. Elmadhoon hoped to increase this to 10 or even 15 per cent through the implications of the Smart Moves initiatives.